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Volume 52 Number 1

award of the medal). Those awarded the General Service Medal 1947 with clasp Overseas Korea 1950-53 were ineligible for this award with the Korea bat" (though they may qualify for it with another bar). The bar inscription (roughly transliterating as "Koriya") appeared only in . Unofficial miniature "Korea" bars in English have been observed. There is evidence that the earliest awards of this medal to senior Indian officers were omitted the bar, and instead "Korea" was inscribed on the edge as an adjunct to the naming.

The medal is circular, cupro-nickel, with the Ashokan lions (the Indian national emblem), and below Videsh Seva Medal in Hindi. It is suspended by a straight-bar non-swiveling suspender to which the bar is attached.

The medals are usually named in impressed capitals on the edge (usually with regimental number, rank, name, and unit). On the reverse is a stylized depiction of an ancient Indian ship on open, stormy seas.

While there are slight color variations due to manufacturing over time, the ribbon is 32 mm wide, V’utesh Seva llledal, bar "Korea"- reverse medium/light blue with five equally spaced 1 mm white stripes. United Nations Service Medal, bar "Korea"

The status of the United Nations medal for Korean War service, with regard to Indian troops, is obscure and confusing. It was authorized for and Commonwealth forces on 6 November 1951. By implication, this may have included Indian troops in the Commonwealth Division. This award would have covered only the service of the 60th Para Field Ambulance and would have not included service with the NNRC or CF(I). The medal may have been unofficially awarded to Indian troops, apparently as the British variety of the medal. A number of sources suggest that a Hindi version may have been considered, though there is no evidence that it was produced. Service in Korea after the armistice did not qualify, so the medal would be seen only in groups to the 60th Para Field Ambulance with the General Service Medal 1947. Such groups are said to exist, though none have been seen by the authors.

Decorations Awarded for Korean Service

Substantial policy problems arose regarding what V’ulesh Seva Medal, bar "Korea" - obverse bravery decorations should be awarded to those Indian

14 The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America troops serving in Korea. By 1952 had two parallel India’s presence in Korea uncertain. Was it officially sequences of brav~’y decorations: combat or non-combat service?

Combat Non-Combat When the Ashoka Chakra sequence was created both, Param Ashoka Chakra I the options and the confusion increased. Some of the Ashoka Chakra II earliest awards for Korea seem to have been Vir Chakra Ashoka Chakra III contemplated as awards of the Ashoka Chakra, Class III. Specifically, these were to have been the awards of The combat awards had been established on the date of the Ashoka Chakra III to the surgeon (Maj. the proclamation of the republic, 26 January 1950, to Rangaswamy), anesthesiologist (Capt. Das), and nursing replace the colonial decorations of the British period. orderly (Nk. R. Singh) of the 60th Para Field There had been confusion in the three years between Ambulance who participated in the 187th RCT’s independence and the proclamation of the republic as to parachute drop near Munsan Ni on 29 March 1951. As what decorations for bravery could be awarded policies clarified in New , these awards were (especially since the Indian combat action during converted to the Vir Chakra and all other awards for this period was against , another service in Korea were made from among the combat Commonwealth member). Clearly, the award of an decorations. This helped to establish the outlines of an or a would have Indian policy which continues to this day: armed actions been neither politically nor symbolically appropriate. outside India are rewarded with the"Vir Chakra" series, Any new awards which might be awarded during the while bravery inside India or in clearly noncombatant 1947-50 period would have required royal sanction; circumstances rates the "Ashoka Chakra" sequence. In such was not forthcoming, even though a draft Royal total, two awards of the Maha Vir Chakra were made Warrant tbr new awards had been sent to London in for service in Korea: October 1948. These considerations proved to be insurmountable. After India gained full independence, 1. MR-252 -Colonel A. G. Rangaraj, new combat awards were made retroactive to the date of AMC, date of action 24 March 1951. Indian independence. 2. MR-281 Major Nirod Baran Banerjea, AMC, date of action 29 March 1951. The three awards, created without regard for rank, were the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), Maha Vir Chakra There were seven awards of the Vir Chakra (including (MVC), and Vir Chakra (VrC), (to avoid confusionwith one award of a bar): the British --VC). These names translate rather awkwardly as "Highest Bravery Medal," "High 1. MR-8747 (MR-286) Major Venkatapathy Bravery Medal," and "Bravery Medal." Rangaswami, VrC, AMC, date of action 29 March 1951 (originally gazetted as a Vir Chakra but later On 4 January 1952, the Ashoka Chakra ("Ashoka converted as a bar to his earlier award of the Vir Medal") was created in three classes to recognize Chakra of 20 May 1948). civilian or non-combatant military acts of bravery. This 2. MR-497 Captain Nirendra Chandra Das, AMC, decoration was also extended retroactively to the date of date of action 29 March 1951 (No.5-Pres./52). India’s independence. In 1967, the Ashoka Chakra 3. 43434 (6794792) Naik/Nursing Orderly Ratan Singh, sequence was renamed as three distinct awards - the AMC, date of action 29 March 1951 (No.5-Pres./52). Ashoka Chakra, , and - to 4. MR-381 Captain Ashok Banerjee, AMC, date of remove the earlier distinctions of "class" which did not action 8 October 1952. fit comfortably with either the Indian Constitution or 5. 6564273 Lance/Naik Budh Singh, ASC(MT), date with India’s national policies to remove discrimination of action 5 November 1951. based on class, caste, religion, race, or gender. When 6. 29485 (6794219)Naik/ORANagSenSingh,AMC, Korean service commenced, only the three combat date of action 23 November 1951. bravery decorations existed, but the constrains and 7. 6574258 Naik Umrao Singh, ASC(MT), date of concerns for Indian diplomacy left the detailed nature of action 31 December 1951.

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Major General Thorat and Lieutenant General Thimayya in the face of Indian policy, these awards never have were also awarded the decoration for appeared in G.O.s. There is also evidence that four distinguished national service. Major General Thorat personnel of the 60th Para Field Ambulance were received his award for his leadership in the CF(I) and awarded the Order of Military Merit Chungmu by the Lieutenant General Thimayya was awarded his Padma Shri Republic of Korea. If the same policy was applied for for his role in leading the NNRC. For service in these later Korean awards as was imposed for awards from the peacekeeping and prisoner repatriation services, the United States, we are left with the presumption that Ashoka Chakra II was awarded to Major General Thorat acceptance of these awards was not allowed. (25 September 1953) and the Ashoka Chakra III to Sepoy Thakur Singh, ASC (25 September 1953). Also, on 10 March 1955, the , Dr. , presented the 60th Para Field Mentioned in Dispatches Ambulance with a special trophy for their Korean War service, the first such award in Indian military history. In addition to the decorations detailed above, six officers, six junior commissioned officers (JCOs), and Bibliography: thirteen other ranks from the 60th Para Field Ambulance Borch, Frederick L., III, and William R. Westlake, For Heroic and were mentioned in dispatches. Capt. Ashok Banerjee, Meritorious Achievement: The American Bronze Star Medal VrC, AMC, was granted a second mention, but as only Awarded to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Forces one physical indication could be worn on a single medal for the Korean War, Tempe: Botch and Westlake ribbon this is somewhat academic. Authorized in its f’mal Publications, 1995. version on 21 November 1951, this award would have Ca~w, Tin3, Korea: The Corrunonwealth at War, ~ CAssel], 1967. Chandra, Bipan, Mridula Mukherjee, and Aditya Mukherjee, India been represented by the addition of a small horizontal After Independence, New Delh: Viking, 1999. bronze lotus leaf to the medal ribbon of the General Chhina, Rana, personal communications, 1999 and 2000. Service Medal 1947 or Videsh Seva Medal. Cunningham-Boothe, Ashley, Marks of Courage, Leamington Spa: Korvet Publishing and Distribution, 1991. Other Awards Das, Chand N., Traditions and Customs of the , : Vision Books, 1984. Gupta, Alka, India and UN Peace-Keeping Activities: A Case Study In addition to these honors, the 60th Para Field of Korea, 1947-53, New Delhi: Radiant Publishers, 1977. Ambulance was, as mentioned above, honored by the Haynes, Edward S., "Medals and Decorations of the Republic of United States with the Meritorious Unit Citation. India,"JOMSA, Vol. 22, No. 8, August 1971, pp. 1-50 , "Decorations and Medals of the Republic of India," http:/ihaynese.winthrop.edulindiaJmedals/INDMED.html The United States awarded Maj. Rangaswami and Capt. Haynes, Edward S., and Rana Chhina, Medals and Decorations of Das the Bronze Star, by US IX Corps G.O. 118 of 6 Independent India (Delhi: Manohar, in press) July 1951. The Indian government, however, declined to Ingram, Kevin, Honors, Medals, and Awards of the Korean War allow foreign awards for Korean service. While the New York: Prospect Press, 1993. "Oa’ders of Military Merit of the Republic of Korea," acceptance of these and other foreign awards for Korean JOMSA, Vol. 46, No. 5, May 1995, pp. 34-39. service was supported by India’s Defense Ministry, Joslin, E.C., A.R. Litherland, and B. T. Simpkin, British Battles & Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Home Ministry, Prime Medals, 6th ed., London: Spink, 1988. Minister Nehru strongly opposed this practice, feeling it Kaushala, R. S., Gallantry Awards for Armed Forces of India was both unwise and in possible conflict with India’s Pathankot: The Krishna Book Depot, 1961. "Policy Regarding Grant of Honours and Awards to Indian Nationals new constitution. This policy was enshrined in Indian by Foreign States," 27-I4/48, Office of the Private Secretary to Ministry of External Affairs Memorandum No.F.8- the Viceroy, National Archives of India, New Delhi. PT.III/56 and continues in practice to this day. Foreign Prasad, Sri Nandan, History of the Custodian Force (India) in awards except for United Nations service medals are, Korea, 1953-54, ed. B. Chakravorty, New Delhi: Historical with very few exceptions, routinely disallowed. Section, Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India, 1976. Praval, K. C., India’s Paratroopers: A History of the Parachute Regiment of India, Delhi: Thompson Press, 1974. Two additional enlisted men- Nk. Singh (who was also Talwar, Sushil, personal communications, 1999 and 2000 awarded the Vir Chakra) and L/Nk. Ram (who was Venkateswaran, A. L., Defence Organisation in India: A Study of mentioned in dispatches 19 January 1952) - were also Major Developments in Organisation and Administration since Independence, New Delhi: Publications Division, recommended for awards of the Bronze Star. However, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 1967.

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